Helping young people feel safe, feel heard and feel hopeful for their future

How we help

Mentoring Plus supports young people in Bath & NE Somerset who are facing challenges. We help 5-25 year olds feel connected through award-winning mentoring schemes, youth clubs and inspiring activities programmes in our community.

Learn about us

Volunteer mentoring

We recruit, train and support adult volunteers from all walks of life to mentor young people who need a positive role model, someone who will meet with them each week and create the space they need for change.

Professional mentoring

Young people with more complex challenges in school or at home can also benefit from 1-1 mentoring in our community from one of our experienced mentors

Student and Family Support

Our professionals support students to re-access mainstream education following exclusion, low attendance, managed moves and similar, with family support also offered

Activities and participation

We offer young people access to inspiring, supported group activities to build friendships and confidence – and our advocacy groups feed back on services, co-design events and build skills

Training

We offer mentor skills training to businesses and organisations, while our student peer mentor training programmes bring compassion and support into schools

Volunteer with us and change young lives

Are you seeking a fulfilling and flexible way to make a difference in your community? Join us as a volunteer mentor and transform the lives of young people in Bath & North East Somerset.

We train and support volunteer mentors and match them with a young person aged 7-25 years old who needs a positive role model - someone who will take them out each week, encourage them to explore their interests and try new activities and have lots of fun with them.

For a young person facing challenges, such as difficulties at school, or poor mental health, spending 1-2 hours a week with a kind and caring adult can make a world of difference.

Our next round of training will take place on Saturday 5 and 12 October 10am-4pm at our Riverside Youth Hub (Bath). We'd love to see you there!

Become a Volunteer Mentor Employee volunteering

The Mega Mentoring Plus River Rally

We've teamed up with CK SUP & Paddle to launch a boat race with a difference. We'll be jumping into Katakanus in teams of 6, at the river bank at The Boathouse, Newbridge and rallying together for young lives in Bath & North East Somerset. Find out more

The Big BaNES 100k

The Big BaNES 100k – do it your way! Walk, run, cycle, swim, skate, kayak or find another way – it's your choice! Join our 100k challenge to raise much-needed funds for two local charities, Mentoring Plus and Off the Record Bath & North East Somerset supporting young people’s mental health and emotional wellbeing.

This is a flexible, inclusive charity challenge inspired by the The Bath 5k Map project, promoting positive mental health and emotional wellbeing by being active in nature.

Sign up

Charity places available for Bath Half 2025

Join team Mentoring Plus and run the Bath Half 2025 and raise vital funds to help us continue to deliver life-changing support to young people aged 5-25 in Bath & North East Somerset. Email ruth.brown@mentoringplus.net to enquire / secure your place.

Our impact

600

Hours of mentoring sessions

30

New mentors

220

Youth Club Hours at Riverside Youth Hub

More about our impact

Donate today and help us change the lives of young people in Bath & North East Somerset

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News

What is it like to be a volunteer mentor?

Every week, our volunteer mentors are changing the lives of young people in Bath & North East Somerset. By being kind, listening, and spending just 1-2 hours a week having a bit of fun, our mentors help our young people feel safe, heard and hopeful for their future.

In our latest volunteer mentor interview, we explore what it’s like to get started and how weekly volunteering positively impacts the wellbeing of both our mentees and mentors.

05 Sep 2024

Volunteering

Inspiring young lives - a celebration of peer mentoring with Kingswood School (as featured in Bath Magazine)

Mentoring Plus has partnered with Kingswood School to create a Peer Mentoring Programme between older students at Kingswood and those from Years 6-8. The results have brought clear benefits for pupils and for the school community.

A collaboration between Kingswood School and local youth charity Mentoring Plus has led to the introduction of a Peer Mentoring Programme in the school. This helps young people of all ages and from different communities to connect and is so popular that it is consistently oversubscribed.

The project was launched in January 2022, following the disruption and isolation caused by the pandemic. The idea was to harness Mentoring Plus’ 25 years of experience training volunteer mentors and supporting young people, and equip Kingswood pupils with the skills to mentor their fellow students in Year 7 and 8, and Year 6 students of neighbouring primary school, St Andrew’s.

21 Aug 2024

Charity

The Big BaNES 100k - local charities launch new challenge for youth mental health

Walk, run, cycle, swim, skate, kayak or do it your way! This is the call from local youth charities, Mentoring Plus and Off The Record, and creators of The Bath 5k Map, who have teamed up to launch The Big BaNES 100k - a new nature-based fundraising challenge, to support young people’s mental health and emotional wellbeing.

The Big BaNES 100k launches on Friday 17 May and local residents can combine any number of activities to reach the 100k milestone. The challenge will run until Friday 27 September, and organisers are encouraging fundraisers to get out into the beautiful BaNES countryside and bring friends, family, colleagues and community groups with them.

13 May 2024

Fundraising

Becoming a Volunteer Mentor

In this interview, one of our brilliant Volunteer Mentors shares insights into their mentoring journey

Before volunteering with Mentoring Plus, I volunteered with young people from challenging backgrounds when I lived abroad. I grew up on a tough estate, and I wanted to give something back. It was really fulfilling and rewarding. Then, as a parent, I feel like an element of parenting is mentoring, and when you’ve gone through the cycle with your own children, I thought why stop there, when you can help others?

So, when I saw a Mentoring Plus advert in Boston Tea Party calling for volunteers, I thought what the heck, I’ll give it a go.

27 Mar 2024

Volunteering

Getting out and about in Bath & North East Somerset with our mentees

In this issue of Mentor Monthly, discover great places to visit in Bath & North East Somerset with your mentee

Every month, we send our Volunteer Mentors new ideas and suggestions for what they can do with their mentees during their weekly mentoring sessions.

Outdoor activities

Bath City Farm is a local community farm in Twerton. Animal food costs 50p per bag and you can enjoy feeding goats, ducks, horses, pigs and chickens. After a walk around the farm, enjoy the fantastic café (open Tues-Sun), which is located next door to the play area.

Alexandra Park has incredible views of Bath, a great play park, and ping pong tables which you can use for free (we can lend our mentors some). On a Friday The Choux Box Patisserie parks up selling the most delicious choux buns and hot chocolate.

06 Mar 2024

Volunteering

Shining a light on Volunteer Mentoring

We know that 1-2 hours a week with a Volunteer Mentor can be life-changing for a young person having a tough time. Having the undivided attention of a kind, empathetic adult who has chosen to spend time with them can make all the difference to a young person’s happiness and well-being.

But what is it like to be a Volunteer Mentor? What’s involved? How does it impact our volunteers?

In this interview, one of our lovely Volunteer Mentors shines a light on their experience.

22 Feb 2024

Volunteering